The Positive Energy Workplace

I’ve been speaking about “busy” and burnout — navigating it, healing it, and avoiding it — for years. In my work, I’ve found there are several components, that when addressed proactively (and reactively as required), can support us in managing ourselves through it and even avoiding it all together.

“Am I truly burnt out, or do I just need a nap?”

I love the conversations I get to have with people about where they’re at in their leadership journey. This comment came from a group I’d worked with last year. We’d been discussing burnout, overload, and mindset. And after taking a minute to get away from everything and getting truly present to what was what in each person’s life (personally and professionally), one of the participants posed this question.

In my work with human beings and organizations to build healthier cultures, create positive impact, and to get in front of burnout all together, I’ve found the most sustainable and pleasurable change requires a three-pronged approach, a trifecta of sorts, and four P’s.

There’s a lot in the media about burnout right now; what burnout is, what it costs us, and what to do about it (especially in healthcare where it’s estimated that the prevalence of physician burnout is about twice as high as in the general population). With the World Health Organization (WHO) making it an official medical diagnosis and putting it in their handbook (International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems), the conversation around burnout is shifting… it’s “real.”

In my work with leaders and their organizations over the last twenty years, optimizing leadership impact, building positively healthy contagious cultures, and getting in front of (or navigating as needed) burnout and low engagement, I’ve noticed patterns in actions and mindset. (The actions are always the result of mindset.)